It was the Week of the Deal.

Acquisitions and business partnerships took top billing on MPO’s website this past week, as visitors sought news on Medtronic’s purchase of Affera Inc., Owens & Minor’s bid for Apria, and the consumation of Alcon’s marriage to Ivantis.

Medtronic did not disclose the terms of its purchase agreement for Affera, but said the transaction should close in the first half of fiscal 2023. The medtech behemoth has been a strategic investor in Affera, claiming a 3 percent ownership stake in the Boston-based manufacturer of cardiac mapping and navigation systems and catheter-based cardiac ablation technologies. Medtronic executives said the deal will strengthen the company’s ability to provide “innovative therapies” and allow the firm entry into additional EP technology segments such as mapping and navigation. 

Owens & Minor also is expanding its footprint through M&A: The Apria deal is likely to expand the company’s presence within the in-home healthcare market as well as the patient care continuum. A statement from Owens & Minor claims the acquisition will boost the company’s Patient Direct platform to more than 90 percent of insured U.S. healthcare customers. “The combination of two complementary businesses in Byram Healthcare and Apria will enable us to better serve the entire patient journey—through the hospital and into the home—ultimately furthering our mission of Empowering Our Customers to Advance Healthcare,” Owens & Minor President and CEO Edward Pesicka said in a news release.

On the same day Owens & Minor announced the Apria deal (Jan. 10), Alcon officially completed its $475 million purchase of Ivantis, developer of a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery device (Hydrus Microstent) to lower eye pressure for open-angle glaucoma patients undergoing cataract surgery. Alcon has said the purchase strengthens its portfolio of treatments for cataract, refractive, retina and glaucoma patients.

J&J and Microsoft also announced a collaboration this past week, but it did not involve money (at least not directly). The two organizations are teaming up to expand digital surgery solutions and improve patient outcomes. Under the partnership, Microsoft will serve as the preferred Cloud provider for Johnson & Johnson Medical Device Companies’ digital surgery solutions. 


1. Medtronic to Acquire Affera


2. FDA Approves J&J’s MENTOR MemoryGel BOOST Breast Implant


3. Owens & Minor to Buy Apria for $1.6B


4. Alcon Completes Deal for Ivantis


5. J&J, Microsoft Partner to Further Enable Digital Surgery